EVENTS

Laws such as those on blasphemy, obscenity and sedition

Human rights activists have called on India to reform or repeal laws that threaten free expression in the world’s largest democracy and muzzle charities such as environmental group Greenpeace.

Some laws are not only silencing marginal voices but are also fuelling graft, a report by PEN International, a London-based group of writers promoting freedom of speech, and the International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto said.

Win-win – shut down weirdos and make sure the money keeps flowing.

Other laws in India such as those on blasphemy, obscenity and sedition have allowed groups or individuals to silence one another, said the report.

For example, Aseem Trivedi, a prominent anti-corruption campaigner, was arrested in Mumbai in 2012 under sedition laws after a complaint was lodged against him for publishing a series of cartoons that satirised India’s national symbols.

Comments

Dear Ms Benson,
India doesn’t have any blasphemy law & Aseem Trivedi is not anti-corruption campaigner. There is nothing like suppression of free speech or anti-human rights…after or even before Modi.Kindly get your facts right.I have been reading you regularly but this article of yours has generated mistrust in whatever you write.

What is has are “hate speech” laws… that are used in exactly the same way. Let’s look at the wikipedia page on “Hate Speech Laws in India:

The laws allow a citizen to seek the punishment of anyone who shows the citizen disrespect “on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever”. The laws specifically forbid anyone from outraging someone’s “religious feelings”.

If the law looks like a blasphemy law, sounds like a blasphemy law, and is used to oppress people like a blasphemy law… people are going to call it a blasphemy law.
The same article goes on to mention the case of Sanal Edamaruku, the man that debunked the “miracle” of water dripping from a crucifix. You know, the man that had to flee to Finland after the Catholic Church threw a hissy fit and used that law against him. It’s strange that you didn’t know that, Parmeshwari Choudhary, since you’ve been reading Ophelia Benson’s blog regularly.

Aseem Trivedi is not anti-corruption campaigner

Again, a few moments on Wikipedia shows your claim to be false. Aseem Trivedi is the man behind Cartoons Against Corruption.

There is nothing like suppression of free speech or anti-human rights…after or even before Modi

The article that Ophelia Benson linked to actually lists multiple example of the very thing you claim isn’t happening. You have not addressed any of those examples. You have not provided any evidence, persuasive or otherwise. Instead, this comment of yours has generated mistrust in whatever you write.